Keflavík International Airport (KEF) | Unserved Routes in the Route Shop

Timeless: Perched on the edge of the Arctic, Reykjavik is well suited for transatlantic connections, but with it's mind-bending landscapes, Iceland is a full-blown destination in its own right – in 2013 it was included in Lonely Planet's Best for Travel Top 10, yet again.

Reykjavik's world-renown music scene draws thousands to the city every year, and geothermal spas – including the iconic Blue Lagoon – help unwind after a night's entertainment. Departures are made easier by Keflavík Airport's generous duty-free offering with prices up to 50% lower than downtown.

New route possibilities

For great new route ideas please contact the team for more information.

For a enlarged view of Keflavík International Airport’s domestic route map, please click here.

Other major reasons to serve this airport

The airport features comfortable modern passenger and commercial facilities with extensive capacity on the North Atlantic and polar routes linking Europe and Asia with North America. It serves the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik, and is an international hub of major importance for scheduled operations and technical stops.
In 2012, 647,000 tourists visited Iceland via Keflavik International Airport. In addition to that we have passengers arriving with the ferry Norraena as well as cruise ships that visit Iceland.

Europe's adventure playground: scarcely populated, Iceland is filled with boiling mud pools, spurting geysers, glaciers and waterfalls, making it a popular weekend break destination – Norwegian became the latest major LCC to arrive launching flights from Oslo in June 2012.

Marketing and other support

Route Support

Support for new routes:
- Three-year programme of charge rebates
- Higher rebates for operations in winter season
Passenger Increase Bonus
- Marketing support for year on year route traffic growth

Extensive Marketing Communication Support

Press release to the airport’s press contacts
Press conference at the airport
Internet support (news, direct internet links between airports and airlines)
Coverage in the airport magazine
Assistance with getting coverage in local magazines and newspapers
Special activities at the gate in connection with the first flight

Population of over 320,000. 670,000 tourists in 2012 – 19% increase.

Catchment Area

Keflavík International Airport is located about 50 km (45 minutes) from the capital Reykjavík with population of about 120,000. Half of the island’s total population, numbering more than 300,000, live in Reykjavík and neighbouring towns in the southwest. The highland interior is uninhabited (and uninhabitable), and most centres of population are situated on the coast.

Every part of the country has its own unique characteristics that visitors like to experience. The nature, people of Iceland, the amazingly fresh air, the renewable energy and the Icelandic food. Whether it is the north, east, west or the south.

Tourism in Iceland figures 2012

Air cargo has always been a big factor in Icelandic aviation history both by commercial flights and cargo flights. The increase between 2011 and 2012 was 6,1%.

Under-served freight opportunities and other economic impact factors

Please contact the team for more information.

Full flexibility: Europe's Best Regional Airport – according to ACI Airport Service Quality survey – Keflavík Airport offers two runways and a 24/7 operation, paired with comfortable terminal facilities.

Geography

In September 2012 Keflavík was the “Best Airport in Europe” according to the ACI Airport Service Quality Awards based on more than 36 service factors.

Iceland is an island of 103,000 km2 (39,756 sq miles), with an average height of 500m above sea level. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, rises to 2,119 m and over 11% of the country is covered by glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe.

Infrastructure & Operations:

Runways: Two
- Runway 02/20 – Length 3 054 m, Width 60 m
- Runway 11/29 – Length 3065 m, Width 60 m
Slot Coordinated: Yes. Contact address is tt@airportcoordination.com
Operating hours: 24 hours a day.
Terminals: Single terminal, inaugurated in April 1987 and was extended in 2001 in compliance with the Schengen Convention, which established a single external European frontier. Improvement and expansion of terminal facilities continued, with a 16,500 sq m extension completed in early 2008.
Min. connect time: 40 min
More information: http://b2b.kefairport.is/english/

Important infrastructure developments and/or other news

Capacity and Constraints

Keflavík Airport is running at maximum capacity for about eight hours a day at which the infrastructure in constrained by number of gates, the baggage reclaim area and the load capacity of the BHS system. Incremental changes are being undertaken on the terminal and in its systems, which will lighten the pressure on the infrastructure but will not add capacity during peak hours.

Currently the terminal is handling about 1,500 passengers an hour at its absolute peak, and theoretically the baggage systems can handle 1,900 bags per hours. When the load is getting close to the aforementioned numbers the handling system and flow in the terminal suffers, putting additional pressure on other stakeholders in the terminal, resulting in lack of resources. So, to increase the peak capacity the terminal, KEF is looking to add baggage handling capacity and to expand boarding areas in the immediate future. The construction of a new baggage factory and departure gates is planned in the next five years.

The terminal can accommodate more passengers during off peak hours without any changes to the current setup at Keflavík as the airport is run 24/7.

Keflavík International Airport (KEF/BIKF)